


so what about kisses?

by yukheis (zzt)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, and jaemin PRAYS it's jeno, basically someone keeps on leaving kisses on jaemin's desk, but arent we all, highschool!au, is it jeno tho hmm, jaemin is in love with jeno, yukren wont shut up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 20:39:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17168999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zzt/pseuds/yukheis
Summary: Jaemin liked kisses - more specifically, he liked them best from a certain pretty boy.





	so what about kisses?

Jaemin liked his kisses soft, sensual, and sweet.

But the Hershey's kisses he'd find every morning on his desk weren't so bad, either.

"Must be nice having an admirer." Renjun cooed, looking at the kisses on Jaemin's desk. "Or you know, someone who wants you to get diabetes."

Jaemin laughed, picking up one of the chocolate drops. He liked sweets, but he liked pretty boys better.

No, scratch that.

He liked  _one_  pretty boy, but he knew that pretty boy didn't like him any better.

"Must be nice having a boyfriend," he said, looking at the way Yukhei tried to hold back a smile as he played with Renjun's hands. Renjun looked at Yukhei then, and the lazy grin that broke on Yukhei's face reminded Jaemin of everything he wanted for himself, too.

 _Romance,_  Jaemin thought,  _isn't dead._

"He doesn't get me chocolate though."

Yukhei playfully raised an eyebrow. "I'm all the chocolate you'll ever need, Injunnie."

Jaemin laughed at Renjun's flustered yelp. "And for the record, you don't even really  _like_  chocolate."

"Shut up Nana," Renjun scoffed, "this is why you're stuck with an admirer who just leaves diabetes-inducing sweets on your desk every morning."

Okay, maybe just  _his_  romance was dead.

* * *

At most, Jaemin thought the chocolates would last a week - he was used to receiving confessions, just not from the one person he wanted them from - but when he got to his third box of kisses, he realized someone really wanted him to get diabetes.

"Have you ever considered waking up early to see who puts them on your desk?" Yukhei asked as he ran his hands through Renjun's hair, who had his head on Yukhei's lap.

Jaemin continued making his part of the presentation, trying not to think of how these two love birds were a constant reminder of how he had no one's hand to hold.

"I tried thrice," Jaemin answered without getting his eyes off of his laptop, "but they were already on my desk when I got there. And I don't want to wake up early everyday just to find some boy putting chocolates on my desk because he's too scared to talk to me."

"Oh, what makes you so sure it's a boy?" Yukhei wiggled his brows. "You have more admirers, both male  _and_ female, than Renjun has Moomin plushies."

"Or maybe," Renjun turned to look at Jaemin, grinning, "he's just unconsciously hoping it's Jeno."

Jaemin looked up from his laptop, shooting daggers at Renjun. Both Renjun and Yukhei knew the real reason why Jaemin shot down every single confession he got: to say yes to anybody else would be to say he has moved on from Lee Jeno - which he hasn't. Not when Jeno, the one person who he thought he'd marry ever since they were 5, suddenly cut him off from his life.

Not that Jeno didn't say hi to him anymore, or how his mom still checks up on Jaemin every now and then. They just drifted apart, like a lot of friendships do.

And it hurt Jaemin more than he would like to admit.

"I just want someone to say it  _straight_  to my face."

"But you're gay," Yukhei mused, and Renjun tried not to whack him in the arm. "And isn't Jeno into you, too?"

"Yeah, that's why he got awkward with me." Jaemin deadpanned. "Haha."

"But," Renjun sang, "he's the only person who I could think of who'd arrive to school earlier than everybody else. His house is close, he's student body vice president,  _and_  has an angsty past with you."

Jaemin closed his laptop. "Are we here to finish our presentation or to have you two attack me for my non-existent romantic life?"

Yukhei and Renjun laughed heartily, and Jaemin thought about how he got through all the pain Jeno made him feel through these two idiots.

He loved them, and he loved them a lot.

"We're here to help you," Renjun winked, "because you deserve to receive all the love you've ever given others, Nana."

* * *

Okay, maybe Jaemin loved Yukhei and Renjun a tad bit too much.

Why any sane person would let their friends drag them to school at 3 AM when the gates wouldn't even open until 5 AM, Jaemin doesn't know. But because Renjun was smart and Yukhei was charismatic, the two somehow managed to convince the principal to let them in the school premises at the crack of dawn (or rather, being friends with Chenle had its numerous benefits including  _borrowing_  the school keys, being the principal's beloved son.)

"If it's Jeno that walks into that door, you're giving me twenty bucks, Nana." Renjun smirked. "And if it's not, I'll give you fifty."

Yukhei tilted his head to the side. "But.. that's not very fair?"

"Exactly," Renjun looked at Jaemin. "I have that much faith."

They were hiding behind the extra table they had at the back of their classroom. Funnily, the two who were supposedly more excited than Jaemin fell fast asleep in their shared Moomin blanket, and Jaemin felt cold even though he had a blanket all to himself.

"I  _swear_  to God or Cupid or whoever is controlling my Sim," Jaemin said, wrapping Renjun's Moomin blanket closer to his chest, "Lee Jeno better walk in that door to make up for my hypothermia."

It was a joke. Maybe.

Soon, he fell asleep. It was the click of the door that woke Jaemin up.

And  _oh my god -_

_"Wise men say -"_

Jaemin felt all the blood rush to his face. Since when did Jeno sing like an  _angel?_

_"- only fools rush in..."_

Jaemin watched Jeno take out something from his bag - a pack of kisses.

_Holy shit._

_"But I can't help,"_

Jeno put three on Jaemin's desk -

_"falling in love with you-"_

Jaemin nearly had a heart attack.  _It's Jeno, it's really Jeno -_

"I  _KNEW_  IT WAS JENO" Yukhei shrieked, and Jeno nearly jumped from his spot. "INJUNNIE WE KNEW IT WE KNEW IT!"

"Since when were you awake?" Jaemin yelped, scrambling to stand up from where they were hiding.

He slowly turned to the other boy in the room, cheeks the color of strawberries at their best. "Hi, Jeno."

Jeno looked at Jaemin, then at Yukhei swinging his fists in the air, then at Renjun rubbing his sleepy eyes awake, then back at Jaemin again.

"Jaemin?" Jeno scratched the back of his head. Jaemin hasn't heard Jeno say his name in so long, it felt foreign to him. "I can... explain."

"That you're in love with our Nana?" Yukhei grinned. "We made a list of how to be a great boyfriend, don't worry - we also have a contract, by the way, and we won't hesitate to beat you to a pulp if you lay a single finger on our baby -"

"I meant," Jeno coughed, interrupting Yukhei. "If you mean these kisses..."

Jaemin held his breath. "Yeah?"

"They're not from me."

_Oh._

"I just brought these over in someone's place."

**_Oh._ **

"You're a terrible liar, Lee Jeno," Yukhei accused. "But a pretty one at that, and Nana's in love with you, so I'll let this slip for now."

"No, really," Jeno laughed, eyes forming crescents, as he ignored Yukhei's comments. "I'm not interested."  _God, he was so pretty,_  Jaemin hissed to himself,  _but so out of reach._

Renjun was awake now, snapping. "And under what conditions would you ever do this for someone?"

Maybe Jaemin had hoped Jeno was indeed a bad liar like what Yukhei thought - but he hoped too soon.

"Because the person who asked me is someone I like," Jeno looked at Renjun, "and he's a coward who needs help."

"Nana?" Yukhei put his arm around Jaemin. "Want to go grab a Happy Meal? My treat."

Jaemin didn't realize a tear had fallen from his cheek. "Oh, okay? Yeah, sure."

Renjun was shooting daggers at Jeno the whole time, and Yukhei held Jaemin in his arms.

But Jeno wouldn't even look at Jaemin. "Sorry." 

* * *

Weeks passed by since, and Jaemin still gets the silver mountains of chocolate. It didn't feel right knowing that the one boy he actually liked didn't give them, though.

He didn't want to be ungrateful, but he didn't want to lie to himself, either.

"I want love," Jaemin sighed, "but I want it to be his love."

"I'd say you're being picky," Renjun said as he cut apples for Jaemin that Saturday afternoon, "but I love you and don't want to bully you when you're like this, so."

Jaemin rolled over on Renjun's sofa. "Am I really not his type? Didn't he say I was  _cute?_ "

"Yes, you're cute," Renjun set the bunny apples before Jaemin and picked up his phone. "Pretty, even. But the heart wants what it wants."

Jaemin groaned. "You're quoting my pain with Selena Gomez now?"

Instead of replying, Renjun answered his ringing phone. "Yukhei?"

Jaemin sat up then, and picked an apple slice. Ever since he had his heart torn and tossed to the side, Jaemin found himself more often at Renjun's to whine about Jeno. He thought he was being more annoying than he usually was with the whole love thing, but surprisingly, Renjun never got tired of it, and Yukhei proved himself to be a better listener than he had ever been.

Jaemin observed the freshly cut apple. Renjun cut the bunny ears well, he thought. They were cute. Like Jeno.

_Dear God, do I really have to see him in everything I touch and do?_

"Nana," Renjun sounded worried.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Jeno."

* * *

Jaemin looked at a sleeping Jeno, a dextrose attached on his hand.  _Even asleep,_  Jaemin thought,  _he looked so peaceful and beautiful._

"Thank you for visiting him," Jeno's mom smiled softly at Jaemin, "and for staying."

A lot of people had come by - being student body vice president and resident school crush meant Jeno had flowers all over the room, stuffed bears, and even balloons that read  _get well soon_ and  _I love you_. Yukhei and Renjun wanted to stay, but the hospital only allowed one extra guest to stay the night.

They told Jaemin they'd drop him a change of clothing in the morning.

"I haven't seen you in so long, Jaemin." Jeno's mom smiled at him. "I was worried you had drifted apart with Jeno, but I'm glad to see you're still good friends."

Jaemin smiled up at her. He sat on a chair next to Jeno's bed, fixing Jeno's bangs. He hasn't done so in years, and it almost felt like they were 5 again.

"You know, I've always told him to not overwork himself so much. He gets home late because of the council, only to do homework, and wake up early the next day." his mom sighed, cupping the face of her son. "I ask him if he has any friends, and he says he has a lot. And while I know you're good friends... he doesn't really have someone he leans on to, you know?"

Jaemin knows. Ever since Jeno started growing distant, he found himself in a slump with no one to lean on. But then he met Renjun, and later on with the addition of Yukhei. As much as he constantly hoped to get his own fairy tale, the two of them kept him happy, knowing he had someone - no,  _two_   _someones -_  to lean on to.

"And you know what he seems so happy about at the end of every day?" she laughed. "The chocolate you two always ate as kids. A bag of kisses."

Jaemin looked up at Jeno's mom.  _Wow, he must really like the person who likes **me**  to even buy the chocolate for him._

"For a boy named Nana."

_Wait, what?_

"Nana?"

"Yes, Jaemin." Jeno's mom smiled at him. "Though I don't know why he'd be so caught up in someone who hasn't even visited yet, when you're still the prettiest boy I've known all these years, Jaemin."

Jaemin had gotten the nickname Nana in his teenage years - when he and Jeno started drifting apart. Not when he still came over at Jeno's frequently, not when he still went by Jaemin. Not when he thought he'd end up marrying Jeno, just like Jeno's mom had joked years ago.

Jaemin tried to bite his tongue back, but couldn't help himself. "What does he say about Nana?"

"Only that he's such a pretty boy," she sighed, "and that he could never ask him out because he was too good for him. I always told him he was the perfect boy, my Jeno, and he'd only smile at me and tell me I was too biased as a mother. But you agree, right? He's wonderful."

Jaemin felt hot in his hands, his chest, and then in his eyes. He doesn't know why Jeno did what he did - and he still blamed himself for never properly talking to Jeno about it. He knew Jeno was going through a hard time - but instead of staying with him through the pain, he only let Jeno push him away. It wasn't just Jeno's fault.

It was his, too.

"Yeah," Jaemin tried not to cry. "He's perfect."

* * *

Jaemin kept visiting since then, and so did a lot of people from school. If it meant anything special to Jeno, he didn't show, other than the stares he left on Jaemin for a bit too long, and the touches he made on Jaemin's arm when he was close enough to reach.

In that time, Jaemin learned things about Jeno that he didn't pick up on from all the wasted years. For one, Jeno liked the roses people brought him, especially the big ones. He also constantly wished he weren't allergic to cat fur, because he liked them a lot. He also liked looking at Jaemin's smile, but Jaemin didn't notice that one.

"Why are you visiting me so often?" Jeno asked him, when everybody else had left.

"I don't know either, Jeno." Jaemin scoffed. "Maybe because you're cute, I guess? No tragic backstory or broken friendship or anything."

Jeno had laughed, and said the most sincere thank you he ever had. "I thought you hated me, you know."

"I don't." Jaemin paused. "I'm sorry."

"You mattered a lot to me, Jaemin." Jeno looked at Jaemin in the eyes. "And you still do, as you always will."

Jaemin smiled softly at Jeno, his Jeno. "Get well soon, okay?"

"For you, I will." Jeno winked, and closed his eyes to get more rest.

* * *

Jeno had overworked himself too much, and was advised to sleep a minimum of 8 hours a night now. Jeno's mom was stern, and refused to let him overwork himself any longer. He had to rest at home for 3 days before he was allowed to jump back straight to school work - and as much as he tried protesting, even Jaemin threatened to never talk to him again if he let himself get sick.

It was no surprise to Jaemin that the kisses stopped coming when Jeno wasn't present in class.

* * *

Jaemin got extra early up on the Friday Jeno was supposed to come back. In his bag were things he thought Jeno would like - including the most important piece in his plan.

And for reasons made from observing how Jeno looked at Jaemin when he thought nobody at the hospital was watching, everybody was excited about Jaemin's surprise. And so they all made their way anywhere  _but_  their classroom, in hopes the two would mend things properly this time.

Jeno entered an empty classroom, all except for his chair that had a stuffed cat on it, roses everywhere, and of course, at the center of it all -

Jaemin, and a single Hershey's kiss on his hand.

"Welcome back, vice president." Jaemin smiled. "I got you a cat plushie that looks like me."

Jeno laughed. "Did my mom say something?"

"Maybe." Jaemin stepped closer. "What makes you think so?"

"She told me she liked you better than Nana, and that you seemed to agree." Jeno's cheeks were rosy, if not from the light peaking through the windows, then through something else deep within him. "I figured you realized how terrible of a liar I am."

"You practically said you loved me when you said I mattered to you, you know." Jaemin took one step, and another. "You don't think I'm smart enough to figure out the whole kisses thing?"

"Thanks..." Jeno sheepishly smiled at him. "Nana."

"If you weren't so cute," Jaemin teased, now in front of Jeno, "I'd be upset you only called me Nana at this moment."

"Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"Are you up for anything?"

"If it won't make my mom mad."

"Then," Jaemin grinned, inserting the Hershey's kiss into the pocket of Jeno's uniform, "give me a real kiss."


End file.
